The short answer
Patrol areas should follow the community’s layout, activity, and documented risks. Common priorities include entrances and gates, perimeter fencing, leasing or management offices, parking and garages, mail and package areas, laundry rooms, pools and fitness rooms, playgrounds, clubhouses, vacant units, maintenance and utility spaces, pedestrian paths, stairwells, and locations with poor lighting or repeated complaints.
What to know
Not every area should receive identical attention. Rank locations by consequence, incident history, time of use, access, and visibility. A pool may need checks near closing, while mail areas and parking may need attention at different hours. Post orders should identify property boundaries, resident-only spaces, lawful hours, checkpoints, keys, hazards, and places officers may not enter. Patrol timing can vary to reduce predictability while still meeting required checks.
Officers should record where they went, what they observed, actions taken, and conditions needing maintenance or management follow-up. An urgent hazard, fire, medical issue, forced entry, or crime in progress requires immediate escalation rather than waiting for a daily report. Review patrol data and incident trends regularly; repair lighting, gates, locks, landscaping, or cameras instead of relying indefinitely on staffing to compensate for a physical defect. Arrow offers GPS-supported daily reporting, but the exact checkpoints and client visibility must be agreed for each property.